Video: Incredible Japanese Koi–Buying Documentary

01 Nov, 2017

Join the team from Sacramento Koi as they travel to Japan to secure the best Koi for their customers back in California.

Steve Walker

Sacramento Koi has raised the bar on self-funded documentary-style marketing with a delightful ride-along video compiled from a 2015 Koi buying trip, destination Japan. Escape wherever you are (particularly if it’s snowing like it is here as I write this!), and be transported for an hour-long experience picking the best-of-the-best from Japan’s top koi breeders.

Steve Walker, President of Sacramento Koi, narrates the footage as the team travels from California to Niigata Prefecture in pursuit of the best hand-picked koi for their customers. With soaring drone footage and a laid-back, candid atmosphere, you will truly feel like you’re riding along with the team on a week-long fish-buying vacation.

Walker introduces the story. “Most people, when they think of Japan, imagine large bustling cities full of cars and people jockeying for position, along with millions of other people living under very crowded conditions. And that’s true; parts of Japan are like that.

The busy Japan most people probably imagine.

“But the Japan that we’ve come to know and love is quite different from that. Niigata Prefecture, in northern Japan, is a very beautiful, scenic, lush green, hilly environment. Here you will find a very kind people, living at a much slower pace, and surrounded by a very rich culture.”

A soaring view of Fukasawa Koi Farm, nestled among the rolling green hills of Niigata.

“Here is also where you will find a number of very hard-working fish farmers, more accurately called breeders, who for many generations have worked to breed some of the most beautiful fish in the world. Over time they have become masters at producing these fish. We call these fish Koi, but the Japanese have another name for them. They call them Nishikigoi, which when translated means “living jewels.” Please join us as we travel on our most recent buying trip, and see firsthand what it is like to buy Koi in Japan. But first, we have to get there…”

Ogata Koi Farm’s unique invitation-only purchasing processes creates a competitive atmosphere between the day’s buyers. Says Walker, “If you see a nice Koi, you need to net it quickly before another dealer nets it!”

So put down the remote, stop watching mindless TV, and invest some time in a story that is sure to engage and satisfy any aquarium keeper. One warning: After watching this, you might want a koi pond (or a second if you already have one).

About the author

Matt Pedersen is a Sr. Editor and Associate Publisher with Reef To Rainforest Media, LLC, including AMAZONAS & CORAL Magazines. Matt has kept aquariums for 36 years, has worked in most facets of the aquarium trade, is an active aquarist and fish breeder (both marine and freshwater), and was recognized with the 2009 MASNA Award as the MASNA Aquarist of the Year.